And In Her Ears...
by Dejika
Summary: A rather quickly done Christmas Kenari.. Ken buys Hikari what he thinks is a great gift, until she gives him something even better.. What'll he do? And what does Hikari think? Read to find out! ^.^ Be nice this is my first posted Kenari...


Dear lord, I've gone and written a Kenari! x.x; Love and a little angst, a Christmas story. It's cute, I guess, it uses their Japanese names, and maybe I'll take another try at Kenari's another time.  
I don't own Digimon or anything else used in this story.. Don't sue, I have nothing but my obsessions.  
  
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"Hey, Wormmon, do you think Hikari would like this?" Ken asked as he held up a pink dress. Not just any pink dress. It was a soft pink, dipped precisely in its beauty and set into the store. And expensive.  
  
Wormmon looked over at his Destined from the toy section. In one of his claws was an adorable little mouse doll, which squeaked when you squeezed it. "It's nice, Ken. Do you have the money for it?" He had the strangest feeling Ken didn't.   
  
"Err.. umm.." Ken glanced down at the price tag. "..Nope." He chuckled nervously and set it back on the rack, "Wormmon, there isn't much here I can buy with the Ichijouji allowence.."   
  
His Digimon nodded knowingly. "There is low-priced jewelry, Ken. Did you think of that?" Wormmon pointed a claw down the aisles, where in the center of it all the jewelry section sparkled. "And can we get this for Gatomon?"  
  
Ken picked up Wormmon. "Yeah, as long as it's not expensive." He looked at this tag and was relieved to see it cheap, and ran to the jewelry area.  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Gatomon, I know Ken'll love this!" Hikari smiled as she held up the newly wrapped present. It was wrapped in green and white stripped paper, with gold ribbon looped and tied around it.   
  
The cat-like Digimon nodded. "He better! We spent a lot on it. Your money, some of Taichi's, and--"  
  
Hikari interrupted, sweatdropped slightly. "Taichi said it was all right, Gatomon, and Yamato was more than happy to donate to the Poor Hikari Foundation." They both laughed, and Hikari set the gift on her bedside table.  
  
"I hope he gets me something," Hikari said quietly, turning to look outside. It was dark, stars scattered through the skies. Last year, she had gotten a small gift for him, and to her displeasure Ken hadn't sent anything back.  
  
Gatomon leapt onto the bed and looked up at her Destined, eyes alight. "Don't worry, Hikari, Ken should get you something this year! After all, we did buy him a--"  
  
Hikari giggled and thwapped a hand to the Digimon's mouth. "Shh, Taichi might hear us and tell someone. Gomen to interrupt you again." Gatomon nodded.  
  
  
* * *  
  
"They're perfect!" Ken cried, kneeling down to show Wormmon the earrings. Small, pink studs, with a white flower painted on. He could already envision them on her ears, a smile lighting her face.   
  
Wormmon nodded slowly. "Perfect," he echoed, "now can we buy them? And the mouse doll. I'm tired." He yawned to proof it.   
  
Ken took the doll from Wormmon. "Yeah, it's getting late. Aah, excuse me, ma'am, could you sell us these?" Ken called to the woman behind the counter, and she graciously took and priced them, took Ken's money, and handed them back in a 'Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa' baggie.   
  
On their way out, Wormmon looked up at Ken. "You forgot to get her a present last year, didn't you, Ken?" The child of Kindness nodded.   
  
"Yup.. I was wound up in nothing. Stupid Sim games," Ken cursed, kicking a rock and turning the corner toward their household. Wormmon laughed and pushed the door open with his head.  
  
"Actually, that was a fun game, Ken," Wormmon said, following him upstairs after waiting for Ken to say hello to his parents. Ken waved a hand at the Digimon. "It was, but Hikari was rather sad last year. Not this year, though."  
  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, Ken woke up late. He could hear the doorbell ring, hear Mrs. Ichijouji politely invite Hikari in, and then came the last minute miracles. He dressed, and while Wormmon worked a comb through Ken's hair, wrapped the small box with the earrings in it.   
  
"Ken, wait, Gatomon's gift!" Wormmon whined, hitting the squeak toy on Ken's leg just before he opened the door. "Oi, Wormmon.." Ken sighed, "Can't this wait? I bet she didn't even bring Gatom--"  
  
"Wormmon! Are you awake yet?" Gatomon's voice called from downstairs. Hikari's voice soon joined. "Ken? I have a present for you.. Are you up and dressed?"  
  
"IN A SECOND!" Ken cried through the ajar door, grabbing the wrapping paper and taping in the doll. He handed it back to Wormmon and calmly went out of his room, downstairs.  
  
Sitting on the couch was Hikari, dressed in blue jeans and a light pink shirt, her shoulder-length brown hair pinned with a Christmasy bow. Gatomon, next to her, had a Santa hat on, and was holding a small package. Hikari held a large one. "Morning, sleepyhead," Hikari giggled. Ken blushed.  
  
"Gomen, Hikari-chan. I was out late last night," he excused himself, then sat on the chair across the couch. Wormmon climbed into his lap and onto the arm of it. "Ohayo, Gatomon!" Wormmon chirped brightly. Gatomon gave a small smile and replied, "Ohayo, Wormmon. Present?"   
  
Ken chuckled as Wormmon threw the messily-wrapped doll across the room. Gatomon leapt and caught it in a gloved paw, and in one swipe had ripped off the paper. Her eyes went wide. "..Mouse..." she whispered, and scampered to Ken, climbed up his leg, and glomped Wormmon.  
  
"Oi, Gatomon! Calm down!" Hikari scolded, but was ignored. Gatomon had given Wormmon his gift - the dating Sim game - and both were joyfully leaping around.   
  
Ken snapped his fingers. "Go on upstairs to my room, you two - Wormmon, you can play your game and Gatomon, you can play with the mouse." The Digimon ran upstairs silently, leaving Hikari and Ken alone.  
  
Hikari coughed. "Aah.. Do you want your present now, Ken-chan?" She sweetly held it up. Ken nodded and awkwardly stood to take it, dropping her gift into her lap in the process. She gave an embarrassed smile and watched as Ken pulled the ribbon off--  
  
"Hikari-chan! Open the door, it's me, Taichi! Okaasan sent me to get you.. oh, hi, Mrs. Ichijouji.." Taichi walked in, led by Ken's mother. She smiled at Ken.   
  
"Gomen, but Hikari has to leave now, Ken. Why don't you open that later?" She took the present and walked upstairs, and Taichi motioned to Hikari. "C'mon," he said, taking her hand. 'He still treats her like a baby,' Ken thought, smiling in spite of his sibling loss.  
  
Hikari stood, putting Ken's small package into her pocket. "All right, all right.. sayonara, Ken-chan," she waved at him, half-dragged out by Taichi. Gatomon galloped downstairs and jumped on top of Taichi's mess of hair and curled up.  
  
Ken knew Taichi didn't like her to be around him. The former Digimon Kaizer.   
  
  
* * *  
  
Later that night, Ken decided to open his present, so the next day at Miyako's house, he could thank her again. Wormmon (even though he was more interested in the game) looked over to watch as Ken ripped away the paper..  
  
..And saw a Playstation 2, complete with three games tucked into the box. A photograph of them together at the park was taped to the side. A sticky note on its cover said, 'Ken - Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy this. Love - Hikari.'  
  
"Wow," Wormmon commented, "she must have spent a lot on that. Those systems are supposed to be really expensive right now." He hardly noticed when Ken groaned out.  
  
"Aw, dammit! She went out and bought me this, and I got her some cheap earrings.. Wormmon, think it's the effort and not the present itself?" Ken asked Wormmon weakly, unable to comprehend the gifts.  
  
Wormmon looked over. "She got you good games. I think it's the present."   
  
Ken sighed. "Dammit, dammit, dammit. Kuso," he finished his cursing in a light Japanese, "she just had to get me such a great gift that I feel bad now." He looked over at Wormmon. "What should we do?"  
  
The Digimon shrugged, turning off the computer. "Don't know, Ken. Find out tomorrow. Sleep on it." He crawled over to Ken, dragging some pajamas with him. He held them up at Ken, who took them and changed, then sat on his bed.  
  
"I'll just thank her tomorrow and.. I don't know.. pity my allowance and how much she loves me and I can't afford it," Ken heaved his body sideways onto the bed, and Wormmon climbed onto the bed.   
  
"Go to sleep, Ken. Relax." Wormmon commanded, pulling the blanket up to Ken's shoulder, then curling up at the foot of his bed.   
  
And he obeyed.. but just before he fell asleep, realization hit him.  
  
Hikari didn't even have her ears pierced.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day, Ken was fifth to arrive at Miyako's. Taichi was there, but oddly enough, Hikari wasn't. He had mentioned something about the mall and earrings (though rather stiffly), and Ken's mood put down again.  
  
The entire incident hurt him.  
  
"Y'know, Ken, Hikari's ears aren't even pierced, why'd you get her earrings?" Taichi asked a few minutes later.  
  
Ken paused before replying. "I wanted to get her the greatest gift, but you know the Ichijouji allowance, I didn't have the money, I bought her those earrings because they reminded me of her - beautiful, and I knew she'd love them.. but then she got me this big present and now I feel awful.."  
  
Taichi looked thoughtful as Ken mumbled, "And poor."  
  
"Heh. Well then, maybe you should listen to a voice.." Taichi's voice trailed, and he smirked lightly, stepping away from Ken.   
  
Ken was puzzled only a second, and then Hikari's angelic voice cooled over his confusion.  
  
"Oh, Ken, it's the thought and the love you gave through it that mattered to me - this year, your present was the better. A small, special gift sent with love." Ken turned around to see Hikari, smiling before him.  
  
And in her newly pierced ears were the pink studs with white flowers in each.  
  
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End file.
